University of Aberdeen in conjunction with Skillfluence are launching their new Connect to Collaborate programme at an in-person event on 11th September.

Connect to Collaborate is an output-focused programme designed for university academics and research staff from all disciplines who want to develop a collaborative R&D project with external organisations, but don’t have a partner.

Many academics and research staff don’t have the contacts, skills or confidence to engage with organisations in a way that leads to collaborative R&D projects. Connect to Collaborate guides academic and research staff from any discipline through a structured process to help them identify, connect with, and collaborate with companies, not-for-profits, NGOs or third-party/public sector partners.

The main challenges the programme works to address are:
• A lack of relevant partner organisation contacts
• Not sure where to start
• Connecting-the-dots between an organisations needs and your research
• Struggle to translate academic language for non-academic settings
• A lack of time to dedicate to engaging with organisations

Participants will realise a measurable change in their knowledge and confidence in critical areas that correlate to applying the innovation process to:

1. Personal Industry engagement & action plan.
2. Increased number of contacts.
3. Initial meetings with partners.
4. Increased confidence in your ability to engage with potential partners.
5. Better understanding of how to move from interest to grant funded project.

Gillian Hambley, Business Engagement Executive at Interface will be attending this event.

Join Heriot-Watt University and Interface on 9th October for this Industry-Collaborative Research Breakfast.

With connections into all Scotland’s universities, colleges and research institutes, Interface is based regionally to support businesses by building collaborations with academia.

Louise Arnold and Howell Davies of Interface will share how the Interface team works with Scotland’s universities, colleges and research institutes to encourage and support academics to undertake knowledge exchange activities with businesses.

Interface can help you navigate the business landscape, find business connections and enable access to industry and sector groups. In addition, the team manage funding calls on behalf of Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government and can identify funding in support of new and sustained academic and business innovation collaborations.

If you are seeking to progress your research by applying it to important social, commercial, and environmental challenges, looking for industry partners for collaborative R&D or seeking insights about industry needs and challenges, need support in finding opportunities to engage your students or help identify collaborative funding programmes Interface can support you.

Moray’s Climate Action Network – Moray CAN – is hosting its first conference event which aims to showcase the work, innovations, scalable solutions and policies that are helping Moray take climate action.

The day is designed so that participants will be able to learn more about what measures are currently being taken to mitigate climate change in Moray, and what can be done to ensure further action is prioritised.

Key note speakers and workshop presentations, will share knowledge on areas including future decarbonisation, reducing emissions, nature restoration and educational outreach.

Key Note Speakers:

• Louise Nicol – Moray Climate Action Network – updating on local projects funded and work of Network members.
• George Gunn – Climate Change Strategy Officer, Moray Council – will give an overview of progress on local authority’s Climate Change Strategy. The strategy will be updated next year, so a timely opportunity to ask questions and give feedback.
• Keith Masson – Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Head of Net Zero Transition – will sharing work on a multi-partner approach to support the region’s enterprises understand, measure and benefit from net zero and circular economy practices. Keith will also highlight the latest baseline carbon footprint report with a particular focus on what this means for Moray.
• Peter Clark – Scottish Whisky Association’s Deputy Director for Industry Sustainability – will share insights into the industry’s collective sustainability ambitions and what action the SWA has taken to help its members to decarbonise their operational emissions by the target of 2040.

During the afternoon, participants will have the choice to make some offsite visits to nearby projects , as part of their workshop choice.

A CONFERENCE FOR BUSINESS LEADERS FROM ALL SECTORS

Scotland’s first Industry Leadership (ILG) Symposium will take place on Wednesday 25th September 2024 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).

The day long programme designed by the ILG Chairs working group includes a combination of presentations and ILG videos that will provide the audience with insights into the priorities and focus for Scotland’s key business sectors.

The Symposium agenda includes high-profile keynote speakers, thought provoking presentations and four themed panel discussions. These panel sessions will explore the latest trends, challenges and opportunities, offering you actionable insights to drive your business and sectors forward plus a session with ministers moderated by political commentator Brian Taylor “Are we delivering for Scotland?”

With three Scottish Government Ministers and twenty-five Business Leaders taking part, plus video contributions from fourteen of Scotland’s key business sectors, delegates attending will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the priorities of each sector and make new connections.

The sectors being featured are:
Life Sciences, Financial Services, Aerospace & Defence, Construction, Food & Drink,
Chemical Science, Forestry, Space, Energy, Employee Ownership, Retail, Textiles,
Tourism & Hospitality

Open to all, this conference presents an excellent opportunity to be involved in a ‘strategic think tank’ for industry and to network with business leaders from a variety of sectors, including government.

The overarching core purpose of the symposium is to:

• Enhance knowledge: exchange information with fellow ILG sectors.
• Showcase best practice/innovative thinking: sharing knowledge across sectors.
• Collaborate: create a network across the ILG sectors.
• Identify clear actions: what can the industry do for itself and working collectively, towards maximising and unlocking potential.

Laura Goodfellow, Associate Director, Interface will be speaking at this event.

With the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, misattributions and misrepresentations are becoming more prevalent, necessitating immediate attention to develop frameworks and solutions that uphold authenticity and trust in digital content.

Join us in the online workshop “The Value of Provenance Data in the Age of AI” for the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge discussions on how Artificial Intelligence is transforming users’ perceptions of and requirements for provenance information on media content. During the workshop, experts in media and AI provenance will give short talks on the challenges posed by AI technology for the authenticity and value of media provenance. Talks will be followed by a participatory discussion moderated on the online collaborative platform Miro. The data collected during the workshop will contribute to open-access publications and further research on the theme.

This workshop is supported by the UK Centre for the Decentralised Digital Economy (DECaDE). Our research group aims to support creator recognition and rights management in creative work, and has developed ORAgen, an online demonstrator that employs decentralizing technologies to embed attribution and licensing into digital content. In the next stage of our research, we aim to understand the challenges posed by AI concerning Ownership, Rights, and Attribution (“ORA” is the framework upon which ORAgen is based).

Turing Fest, the unique cross-functional tech event, is set to return to Edinburgh on July 9th-10th, 2024, for its 9th edition.

This gathering will unite founders and leaders in engineering, product development, and growth, offering opportunities to connect, learn, and collaborate on building better technology.

Leading tech experts will present their insights and experiences across three main tracks: Build (engineering & product), Grow (marketing & revenue), and Lead (people & company-building).

Attendees can learn through keynote sessions, speaker roundtables, peer-led “mind meld” sessions, and “lunch and learn” events. Networking opportunities include parties, speed networking sessions, and personalized 1-to-1 meetings organized via our matchmaking event app.

Inverness Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual business to business events and exhibition from 23rd to 27th September in Inverness culminating in the Highland Business Awards Lunch. This annual, five day event offers highland businesses opportunities to exhibit, network, collaborate and celebrate.

Launched this month, Highland Business Week 2024 is an opportunity to network, showcase and celebrate, whatever the scale of your business or organisation. Anchored by the popular Highland Spotlight exhibition and the annual Highland Business Awards, the week itself is an opportunity for the Inverness business community to be part of the programme and showcase their specialisms through crafted events, workshops or masterclasses that inform, inspire and educate.  Organised by Inverness Chamber of Commerce, and supported by media partner Highland News & Media, the annual business festival will take place from 23 to 27 September.

Lorraine Thomson of Interface will be in attendance during the week.

Highland Business Awards

The Highland Business Awards are now open for entries. They’re a great opportunity to tell the Highland business community about your success. The Awards are open to all Highland businesses – large and small, new and well established, and from every sector – so there should be an award category for every business to enter – you don’t even have to be a Chamber member! You can nominate your own business or any other organisation that you think deserves the recognition. Closing Date is Friday 9 August.

Contact the events team for more information: events@inverness-chamber.co.uk

A one-day event for academics from the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt, St Andrews, and Strathclyde. Hear impact success stories, find a collaboration partner from another Scottish university, and access funds for impact collaborations.

The festival will be held on 4 September 2024 at COSLA, Edinburgh Haymarket and will support you to:

• find out more about the opportunities, funding and training available to you to create impact from your research
• become a future impact leader
• network with like-minded researchers from five Scottish universities with EPSRC Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs)

Interface will be exhibiting at the festival please come along and say hello!

This workshop, hosted by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions, and Cities (CFE), is part of a series of activities aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of how regional and local governments from OECD member countries are implementing more effective rural policies, leading to improved quality of life and contributing to a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive future.

Presenters will share different perspectives on the path to economic resilience in rural communities, along with examples of successful initiatives.